Managing Kaizen Events (2 Day Class)

Description:
Effective kaizen events are often a prerequisite for a successful lean transformation. They provide the necessary momentum, organizational learning and engagement, along with sustainable, step/function improvements. The systemic use of kaizen events establishes the technical and cultural foundation for principle-driven kaizen -- the powerful combination of kaizen events and daily kaizen activities.

Regrettably, many organizations suffer from one or more of the following event malpractice symptoms:

• Little or no measurable business impact
• Poor linkage to strategic and value-stream imperatives
• Unsustainable results
• Unfavorable employee experience
• Limited organizational learning and growth
• Insufficient foundation for daily kaizen

This two-day workshop is designed to give participants critical insight into the principles, tools, and techniques that drive effective kaizen events.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this workshop, you will understand:

• The foundation and framework of kaizen
• The lean leader’s role in kaizen
• How to ensure that kaizen events are “pulled” by what matters (value-stream improvement plans, strategy deployment, etc.)
• How to effectively pre-plan kaizen events
• The kaizen event sequence, the seven basic elements, and how to successfully apply them:

1. Kick-off
2. Pre-event training
3. Kaizen “storyline”
4. Team leader meeting process
5. Kaizen work strategy
6. Report-out
7. Recognition and Celebration

• How to sustain kaizen gains through post-event follow-through and leader standard work
• How to develop and deploy the Lean Function – structure, role/responsibility, key result areas, core and technical competencies
• Understanding the transition from system-driven kaizen to principle-driven kaizen and how to get there

Course Outline:
The workshop is comprised of instruction, discussion, gemba walks, gemba tales (a.k.a. war stories), small-group exercises around pre-event planning, including event selection/scoping, team composition and initial strategy formulation, as well as the review of the host company's kaizen event management. The topics covered are:

1. Why Drive-by Kaizen Events Are Not Effective…and How to Avoid Them
2. Kaizen Event Execution and Sustainability - Beyond “Just Do It”
3. The Lean Function and the Transition to Daily Kaizen 

Who Should Attend:
Those who would benefit from this workshop include:

• Kaizen practitioners/facilitators in the kaizen promotion office (a.k.a the “lean function”)
• Lean leaders – value-stream managers, executives, lean steering committee members, etc.